Kidney disease awareness promoted by WVU Medicine
BARNESVILLE — WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital is raising awareness of chronic kidney disease this month. According to an announcement, March is National Kidney Month, and the hospital aims to educate the public on reducing the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
In the United States, more than 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease. Around 90% of individuals suffering from CKD are unaware that they have it, according to Carissa Allen, a physician assistant at WVU Medicine Morristown Family Medicine. Risk factors for kidney disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and family history. Anyone over 18 years old with diabetes, cardiovascular disease or a family history of CKD should be screened.
Certain populations are at increased risk for developing CKD, including people of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander descent. Chronic kidney disease often has no symptoms in its early stages, making routine lab tests crucial for detection. Regular meetings with a primary care provider can help with this.
Treatment depends on several factors
If kidney function is abnormal, creatinine levels in the blood may rise due to the kidneys not excreting waste through urine. Healthcare providers calculate the glomerular filtration rate, or GFR, to determine the stage of chronic kidney disease. This calculation considers age, gender, creatinine and ethnicity. Managing blood pressure and diabetes with a primary care provider can help prevent CKD from developing or worsening.
Avoiding medications like NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and naproxen, can protect kidney health. It is also important to maintain a healthy weight and follow a weight-loss program if necessary. Engaging in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily is beneficial for kidney health. Additionally, individuals who smoke should work on quitting.
End-stage renal disease has treatment options, including dialysis, which removes excess fluid and waste when kidneys can no longer function. Approximately 380,000 individuals in the United States, including children, rely on dialysis. A kidney transplant is another option for those with end-stage renal disease.
To learn more about chronic kidney disease, visit CDC.gov/Kidney-Disease.
This story was created by Jane Imbody, [email protected], with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
link
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1342708835-338f590a39874c1da1999312b3d3cd55.jpg "Barriers to Type 2 Diabetes Care and Access")
